Burning of a Passenger Ship, and Loss of 130 Lives.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 40, 17 August 1870, Page 6

Burning of a Passenger Ship, and Loss of 130 Lives.

The destruction of a .ship by ,ue!J !l I,luy t appalling spcobiol^®>? piicu it is known that a number of f|a||HP pvatnres have also perished, it doubly so ; and in one of those tumid,, dramas the Murray—-just arrived at Ade-laide-played an important part, although she was powerless to rescue many from the devastating element. Captain Hogg gi\ 0H a graphic description of the ou nms* from which it appears that on the hifHlii i the 2Gth May, in lat. 2.‘sdeg. 40u.ihBS| long. 37deg, 50min. W., one of at the mast-head reported a miuation astern, and on closer insfj&'flon the reflection became more apparent, and after a very short inteeval it was affirn; e d to bo a ship on tire. In order to elea jy Stain tlie truth, the Murray’s cou -so fuanged, and all sail made. The (i s . I« was then computed at thirty milys,, after sailing for an hour, ijj&iii a vessel on fire, and in £££j darkness of the night it was indei3ft<l^fl6l appalling spectacle, as a nearer disclosed the form of a large mpS devoured by the flames, winch aloft, lighting up for an inuucuse distu ne the surrounding gloom. At two a.m. die distance was considerably lessened, : m ] the Murray closed with the burning wreck , having previously prepared her boats for lowering, with hands at the davit falls, foul every possible arrangement was made to meet the emergency of the case. The a a hitter cry came from the watery clarkifoss, and tea; boat was lowered, tile maintop jail ■ hove back, ami a gallant new pulled av-iy into tao shade oi night towards the soumjjp , -1 here was found a water-logged ! four men clinging to her, U’ave rolled completely over thoi}s®S|pS Bequentlg it was known that peen lowered from the hau been a rush of passon^^^l* [frequently siie tilled, and only four su v i. I vors were left to tell their miserable t dag Brray remained close to the burn|il e until daylight, when she the vessel, which was one mas fofj om stem to stern. Her masts v id the deck fore and alt added ',ud Ito the fire. As the day dawiiejjM BM i seen with delight that three ; been attracted to the some, |||' sliip drifted down on her, people IhM I clinging to a wreck of floating liuiig r.i wimiw.mh A schoom;r Murray s ho its were also . work of rescue. Although'a was blowing, all but twn wiry ,la|ei m At tlr.sjuncture the wind ami jE|«J .so as to render it impnssiule to-,v tlier escriimis, and the two gw ere in such a po-dtion that the boafl|| ’ not get near them, and they exhausted and insensible to ttS/es uig made to save thorn. was of a most exciting and e.i;;-iactor, as fmiu subscqimfo g'ifo was f mud that the ill-fated dap wasl the Mannin Harabino, an Italian barque," iJTinul fiom (fenoa to the River I'late, with! lf,o passengers on hoard beside the comparing notes afterwards, it that 120 were lost by lire ami wMa||HK|j| course, want of an hj inmate their language rendered it diilicsHH| tain minute details from tlio ;Ajit it was understood that fire Iroff the pfoolc s galley had by some means igi dted ‘ the declc, and the combustion of the ci u-go, which was mainly spirits, was a very i |&d process. The fore end of the vessel t Srly Idew up, sending the entire foremast and gear over to windward, and to this p •evidential cirenmsti nee may he attrib tlie salvation of the few |) . mcs, sails, spara, Jfetajpar serM' i&& r'i-iiilt 01 nftc on W-y. erc~Mi| until assistance attendance were the fjouise, from Bordeaux to the IhvGrf’F. the French barque Galdare, from and a Dutch schooner, homeward Captain Begg sent his boat to which was sailing to the" unfortunates, and lie offered those rescued, supposing the master®® inclined to take them on. A suppl. provisions and clothes followed, and fii.,, a subscription amongst the passengers * 1 pleniented the offer, wliich was toriiy arranged, and after a detention, the Murray sailed invaJpilsPF course. When the ships parted tlie ill-fated craft had burned water’s edge, the sea making a over some parts of her, ami a gale was anticipated, consequently jV •reasonable to suppose that had theassist C 18 not arrived when it. did, there would ince been no survivors from the doomed j cl - V 0 Among the saved %vere two Judies, m" ‘those who were injured the doctqjfi-pf ,i ° Mur ray attended, with a view their sufferings. The whole a most harrowing description, inability of the survivors to the above are the only facts to ham^Hr